The Molecular and Cellular Biology graduate program offers thesis-based MSc and PhD degrees. An option for direct entry of highly qualified B.Sc. students into the Ph.D. program is available. The program currently offers the following areas of specialization: Biochemistry, Cell Biology, Microbiology, Plant Biology, Molecular Biology and Genetics. Faculty in the Department also contribute to the interdepartmental programs in Biophysics (MSc and PhD) and Bioinformatics (course-work MSc), as well as the collaborative MSc and PhD programs in Neuroscience and Toxicology.

Research Facilities

The research and teaching laboratories of the Department are located in the Science Complex, which was completed in 2007. The research laboratories are all well-equipped for contemporary work in microbiology and the broader molecular biosciences. Several equipment rooms contain larger items of shared equipment, which are maintained by the Department. The Science Complex also houses critical institutional core facilities including: Genomics, Mass Spectrometry Molecular and Cellular Imaging (electron and confocal microscopy), NMR, Phytotron, and X-Ray Diffraction and Scattering.

Students in the Molecular and Cellular Biology graduate program are supported through a combination of sources. These include national scholarships (including NSERC, CIHR and various health foundations), provincial awards (Ontario Graduate Scholarships, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs), faculty research grants, and graduate teaching assistantships. Minimal stipends for MSc students are $19,500 and $21,500 for PhD students (2014-15). Tricouncil award recipients are awarded an additional $5,000 scholarship from the University.